If you're not new around here, thanks so much for joining me on this ride. Now go check out what I have to say over at Shell's.

If you are new here, welcome. I'm glad you stopped by. Please feel free to take a look around. If you decide to stay, I look forward to getting to know you. If you're just hopping over to say hi, then HI!! Thanks for visiting!

Even if there is a huge slight curvedue to my assignment being very just a tad late

Those pretty striped socks of perfection you see up there ^^^

Are one of my gifts for GG for her birthday.

Her birthday was mid-November.

But they're done and that's what counts. Even if they're slightly off. If you look real close, one foot is bigger than the other. In my defense I had to adjust the pattern for a bigger foot. And this was my first attempt at making socks.

For future reference, buy your kids socks.

If you want a chance to win one of my crocheted goodies (a teddy bear), go check out this post to find out how! All proceeds go towards a family who tragically lost their little boy.

We all have our own ways of celebrating the holidays. Some are religious and focus on that side of Christmas, while others focus on spending time with family. Some are all about the gifts, but I hope the majority of that group is all under the ripe old age of 10.

Some go all out for Christmas, while other don't. Or can't.

We all have our own way of celebrating and no matter how you do it, I hope you enjoy every minute of it.

For $9.99 and three easy steps, you can upload a holiday photo, add Santa, and print the proof. You can also share your photo via email, Facebook, or Twitter.

When you are ready to add Santa to your photo, you have numerous poses to choose from. You also have the ability to edit your photo. You can zoom in on your background, as well as adjust the size, color, brightness, and position of Santa.

Last year I caught Santa with my digital camera and quickly uploaded the picture to my computer (or so my kids thought). They were so excited to see that Santa really was here and they found it very amusing that he even took a nap on our couch.

This year, your kids can be just as excited because I have not 1, but 5 codes to giveaway!

And don't worry if you're not one of the lucky 5. I have something for you, too. If you want to catch Santa in the act, just enter LOVE at the checkout to receive 25% off your purchase.

Even if we have never met, I feel such a strong connection with some bloggers. I know each of us have our list of URL friends whom we feel like we've known forever.

I haven't known Steph for very long, but I do know that I love her blog, stories, and any conversations we may have. I was devastated to hear the news of her friend. Her friend tragically and suddenly lost her 18 month old son. I can't even imagine the pain they are feeling. I don't want to.

I am posting this to help Stephanie spread the word of her friend with the hope that there are people out there who can help. I understand that it is almost Christmas and things are extra tight for many people, myself included. But if you can find a way to donate something, anything, I encourage you to do so. Please feel free to copy this post from the button down and post on your own blog. The more people who know, the more people who can help.

This is of course the busiest time of the year but it's also the giving season, the time where we make sure to think of others before ourselves. A family is grieving the loss of their son in a horrific accident. Read more here and here. Most of us can't even imagine the pain this family is experiencing not to mention the financial strain. It's my Christmas wish to be able to help this family, who are also friends of mine, to help take away something on their minds at a time that's focused on family and love and happiness.

I am still trying hard to get some products donated as incentive to donate. I know that a child's death is sad and isn't like a baby with a disease or curing something but it's still just as important. If you son or daughter was killed in an accident what would you do? Every dollar you donate will be one entry into the drawing for prizes. I will get an email with your info and the amount you've donated and will email you back to confirm and give you your drawing numbers. When the auction ends tentatively on the 15th of January, possibly the 31st I will go through and random.org each item with them numbers to pick a winner (the two of you that have donated will be getting emails soon). I hope to have more details on the auction in the next few days as more sponsors get back in touch. Between the weekend and weather people are taking longer to get back in touch. Decide to give up your morning coffee to Riley for a day and you give $5 to a deserving family and get five entries to win some cool stuff!

You can also help by SPREADING THE WORD! I have been surprised that not many people have taken an interest but I'm hoping that it's just because the weekend was busy and you've been busy shopping. I know my readers would do anything they could to help!

Babe and Riley were just a month apart, Sandra and I shared pregnancy stories, ultrasounds, fears and firsts. It always seemed like if one boy was doing something the other was right behind him or had been doing it. Both boys are loving, sweet, funny little boys who changed both of us for the better. I see so much of me in her as a mother. The rest of her firsts with Riley are gone now and as a mother and a friend of Sandra I want to do everything I can to help and I know that you will too. Our blog family can help this family with this burden so that they have one less thing to worry about in the recovery from the death of Riley. Feel free to email me any questions that you may have!

The Rockin' Bakery will be donating 25% off it's profits to The Riley Memorial! We can't do much but we can organize this raffle, donation drive and donate the profits to it.

If you write a post for The Riley Memorial please link it up at this link so that when Sandra is feeling low she can see all the love that we are sending her and her family!

This crap you have going on outside is not conducive to, well, anything! Trying to shovel the snow off my front porch Monday night took 3 people. Keep in mind, we have a tiny porch. After 30 seconds I could no longer feel my fingers so I had to pass to shovel to someone else.

Today isn't going to be any better. And this creates a problem. A big one.

You see, my midgets have their school holiday concert. The politically correct "Winter Concert" where they sing Jingle Bells and Rudolph. The problem lays in what they need to wear. It has been made known to me that the school prefers the children to be dressed up so they look nice and stuff. I don't know about you, Mother Nature, but I can't think of too many warm holiday outfits. Dresses do NOT cover one's legs and dress pants are NOT thick. At all!

Even though we only have to walk from the car to the doors of the school, it's still cold as anything out there. Temperatures pushing negative numbers does not make me happy!

And now that I think about exactly what outfits they are going to wear it has occurred to me that said concert is after lunch. Kindergartners are not the cleanest of eaters. Come to think of it, neither are 3rd graders. Perhaps what I need to do is write a letter of complaint to the school instead.

Sincerely,

Disgruntled Mama

ps. I am really excited about this show. GG is in the chorus this year and will do her own songs and this is Little Dude's first school show. Plenty of pictures, and probably some videos, will be taken. I promise to share some of them!

Thank goodness. This was my one week a month that was full of meetings. I hate those weeks! I certainly don't want to end the week on a sour note, so I thought I would show off the craft my Brownie troop made this year.

Supplies needed:

Large tan colored pom-poms

Dark brown pipe cleaners

Small eyes

Small red pom-poms

Clothes pins

Scissors

Tacky glue or a hot glue gun

1. Cut a pipe cleaner in half. Cut one of the halves in half again. Bend the larger piece into a "U" shape. Twist one of the smaller pieces around each of the ends. Glue to the back of the tan pom-pom.

2. Glue the eyes and nose to the front of the tan pom-pom.

3. Glue the tan pom-pom to the top of a clothes pin.

If you use tacky glue, you may have to hold the pieces in place for a minute or 2 for the glue to set. Once you have your reindeer assembled, you can clip him to a branch on your Christmas tree.

Every year I freak out over Christmas. I love the decorating when it's done, but I hate the process to get to that point.

Thank goodness my tree only has 3 pieces and is pre-lit (genius!). It's the ornaments that get me. We have quite a few that are extremely old or breakable or both. Of course my midgets want to help and that just sends me into a tizzy. They work faster than me and it's a miracle that nothing has been broken yet. At least not by them. I plead the 5th on that subject!

But once it's all done, it's a beautiful thing.

My favorite part is how Little Dude begs every night for me to turn the tree on. He props his butt on the side of the couch and stares at it like a kid in a candy store. I can't help but grin ear to ear at the look on his face.

I would provide a picture, but the little ham is quite observant and strikes a pose. Every. Single. Time! But trust me, there's nothing better to a mom than to see that look of joy on her child's face.

And what would be a true Christmas miracle? Getting the outside lights up and lit. My midgets would absolutely love that, but Mother Nature is not my friend at the moment. For now, they'll just have to settle for the tree!

I try to find the bright side when there's chaos. And believe me, there has been chaos in this house lately. A million and one things to do, topped off by the beginnings of cabin fever. Thank you Mother Nature bitch.

Yes, I colored the gray right out have been puling my hair out and yes, I have been yelling taking deep, calming breaths, but that doesn't mean there isn't an upside to this chaos. All I need to do is listen to the words that come out of the mouths of the people that live here. Let me give you some examples...

1. GG to Little Dude while doing the dishes - "Is that poo?"

referring to a Winnie the Pooh cup. I hope!

2. The husband to me - "I hope I cooked all the alcohol out"

Said after Little Dude was on his second helping of kielbasa and kraut. Little Dude was rather happy the rest of the night. Hmmm...

3. Speaking of that night's dinner, Little Dude was rather excited to try "Sour crap". Yet another thing to add to the list of his mispronunciations! Up until that, my favorite was "Chapsticks".

In case you weren't aware, you can eat your Chinese food with some chapsticks.

What crazy things have I said lately? Nothing! I never stumble over words or completely screw up pronunciation. I'm perfect like that.

For years I have tried the whole chore thing to no avail. I can get GG to clean the bathroom, minus the toilet, but quite frankly, her complaining makes me just want to take over that job. Little Dude? It's useless. At one time I thought it would be a good idea for him to clean the insides of the windows once a week. He loves spray bottles. Why not?

Well, I ended up with streaky windows and wet furniture.

Dusting? Pointless. I have too many breakable things that I would like to keep in one piece please. Vacuuming? Sometimes, but only under my incessant hovering supervision. My vacuum is just too darn expensive to let them treat it like a toy!

But I think I finally found something. And I will let you in on my secret.

How to get your kids to do the dishes.

Ask!

Yes, it's that simple!

I told GG that she was old enough to do them and she could start after the holidays (last Monday). She jumped at the opportunity! And to my surprise, so did Little Dude! Of course, he wanted to help wash. Not only is there not enough room at the sink for 2 people, but I really didn't feel like mopping. So he dried the dishes instead.

I told him I would put them away when he was done, but he kicked me out of my own kitchen! I have never ran out of my kitchen so fast! Even faster than when I fill that room with smoke whenever I make meatloaf!

After GG washed everything and Little Dude dried and sorted the dishes, I put them away. And guess what? Last night they did them again!